divided public response to the manhunt has been a reality check for LAPD leaders,

Responses to Dorner case contain surprises
Divided views of the man suspected in three killings show how the twisted drama has taken on unexpected dimensions.

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What did surprise me was the response of locals to the prospect of Dorner nearby. They were worried more about "trigger-happy" cops than the risk posed by the fugitive at the center of the manhunt.

That's a reflection of how this twisted drama has taken on unexpected dimensions.

There has been, on the fringes, an online duel about whether Dorner's mission to avenge his "racist" firing from LAPD makes him villain, hero or victim. "Christopher Dorner For President" reads one Facebook page. "Find and Kill Christopher Jordan Dorner" urged another.

But there's confusion in the center too, unfolding in more measured tones in Facebook posts and on media comment boards, among people with different perspectives about the roots and meaning of this evolving tragedy.

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The divided public response to the manhunt has been a reality check for LAPD leaders, who thought they'd reshaped the department into a force that the community trusts and respects.

When Dorner's alleged rampage began, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck dismissed the complaints in his manifesto as the ramblings of a madman.

But the LAPD's credibility took a hit when its officers opened fire on a 71-year-old woman and her daughter last week as the pair delivered newspapers near a Dorner stakeout.

1. In fact, 3 civilians and a dog were around Dorner yesterday and he hurt none of them. In addition

there were hundreds of police shooting, and one Dorner. It would be terrifying to be near any of it, but the odds are greater that the police would shoot a bystander than that Dorner would. They do that here. Dorner murdered people. innocent people. He didnt kill anyone by mistake. the LAPD mistakenly shoot people a bit too frequently here.